The Library (Words To the Wise)

The Library (Words to the Wise) Shhhhh! No talking strictly enforced! Most folks abide, except children, of course And those who can’t read, don’t care, or don’t want Goof off in the corners, or sneeze As sharp, darting eyes of librarians haunt Do you think you can do as you please? The wisdom of giants exudes from the walls Words that amaze, mesmerize, and enthrall Lie untouched, undusted, forgot, and unseen For racks of harlequin romance Replaced in small minds by pulp magazines, The classics have lost their last chance Mindless amusement is what the world craves Poe and Lord Byron must cringe in their graves Dickens and Tolstoy and Steinbeck don’t matter Now Paris and Brittany rule All lost in celebrity gossip and chatter The true kings and queens look the fool But one in a thousand sees past all the fluff They pass by the newspaper comics and stuff To linger and learn from some eloquent master Igniting a dazzling epiphany A small step for culture to detour disaster And rise above kitsch and banality.